>> reporter: it is a complex and difficult problem for the barack obama administration, some say this is oil, some say dirty oil, and on the other greenhouse grasses. >> reporter: thousands of protesters gather in san francisco to show themselves as ordinary citizens concerned about america. >> this is putting a face on the public support for clean energy and opposition to the dirty keystone xl pipeline. >> i consider myself a raegt person. so, indeed, i think the idea here is to be reasonable and to try to get other reasonable people to think about the reality of climate change. >> reporter: undetoured by freezing temperatures, tens of thousands rally inside in wash washington, d.c. demanding the administration take action on chime at change and reject the oil pipeline. the president earlier this year said he would push the pipeline through. he sounded more cautious in the state of the union address last week. >> if congress will not act soon, i will, i will direct my cabinet to come up with exittive actions that we can take now -- executive actions that we can take now and in the fu